Can crusher



May 29, 1962 F. E. MALARSKY 3,036,517

CAN CRUSHER Filed Oct. 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FymvmtfhLnqslqy A frog/vs? "May 29, 1962 F. E. MALARSKY 3,036,517

CAN CRUSHER Ti 2Y2.

Filed Oct. 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fZzq/v/ EMA LAQGKY Thisinvention relates to a machine for crushing cans. Machines of theparticular class are quite old in the art, and generally involve a pairof relatively reciprocating plates. As the plates rciprocate relativelyto one another, the can to be crushed gradually moves downwardly betweenthe plates until it drops into a container.

Machines of the particular class have not been particularly successful,due to the fact that the cans have a tendency to plug the machinethrough improper functioning of the machine when cans are fed rapidlyinto the machine, with a plurality of cans in the machine at one time.The task of removing the partially crushed cans is very considerable,particularly since it may require the power actuation of the machine,involving hazards to the hands.

I have conceived a structure involving basically the gripping of thecans during the crushing movement so that the cans are maintained in aparticular position relatively to the plates of the machine that engagethe cans to crush them. Naturally, the gripping means must release thecans in a desired manner, and this can be determined by particularlyshaping the can crushing plates. Under this concept, there is an orderlymovement of the cans through the machine with each can moving downwardlyinto a container.

As a further particular feature of my invention, construct the crushingplates so that they may readily receive a can to be crushed but yetpresent a limiting surface adapted to receive a can in the event the cantends to pop upwardly during the initial crushing operation.

As a still even more particular feature of my invention, the crushingplates are so constructed that once a can moves downwardly into finalcrushing position, it is released through the reciprocation of theplates, with this releasing movement opening a rather large passagewayso that the crushed cans cannot, due to a springlike expansion, clog themachine.

As a still further feature of my invention, I arrange for thereciprocation at all times to be of suflicient magnitude relatively tothe gripping means, so that the gripping means will be positivelywithdrawn from engagement with the cans during each reciprocation, evenat that point where the cans are crushed to their thinnest possiblecondi tion.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of myinvention in order that the detailed description thereof that followsmay be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features ofmy invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based mayreadily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures forcarrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of myinvention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention bythose skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the machine of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view looking downwardly on the machine.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Patented May 29, 15 62 ice FIG. 4 is a section taken along lines 4-4- ofFIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my machine comprises alower base and container 10 on which is supported the crushingapparatus. This apparatus includes an electric motor 11, which through astandard gear drive contained in a housing 12, actuates a sprocket 13.Sprocket 13 drives a usual type of link chain 14 that in turn drives asprocket 15 rotatable with a shaft 16, the shaft 16 being supported insuitable brackets 17 carried by a plate 18 forming part of the uppercasing of my crushing machine.

The plate 18 is suitably welded or otherwise secured to the base andcontainer 10 and is also welded or otherwise secured to side plates 19and 20, this entire integral structure being welded or otherwise securedto the base It so as to form an integral part thereof. The plate closingthe side of the upper casing opposite plate 18 will be describedpresently. Those skilled in the art Will appreciate that the manner inwhich the various parts are fabricated and held in position is of noparticular importance.

Keyed to the shaft 16 at 23 is an eccentric cam 21 adapted to rotate ina yoke 22 that is pivoted by pin 23 to a pair of brackets 24. Thesebrackets 24 are welded to a crushing plate 25 that is shaped as shownbest in FIG. 1, the crushing plate 25 being pivoted at its lower endthrough spaced brackets 26 for reciprocating movement on a shaft 27suitably mounted in the opposed plates 19 and 29 of the upper casing ofmy machine.

The crushing plate 25 is curved as shown best in FIG. 1, and is formedwith a series of ridges 30 that are horizontal in the normal position ofthe crushing plate in the machine. The crushing plate 25 is furtherreversely curved at 31 so as to present a limiting surface to preventthe popping upwardly of the cans, all as heretofore generally described.It is obvious that the rotation of the sprocket 15 will effect rotationof the eccentric cam 21, which will in turn actuate the yoke 22 andreciprocate the crushing plate 25 on the shaft 27. The magnitude of thereciprocation is rather considerable relatively to the size of theridges 30, so that the ridges will move away from the can that is beingcrushed during each reciprocation, as has already been outlined.

Coacting with the crushing plate 25 there is a stationary crushing plate35 shaped as best illustrated in FIG. 1. actually, the plate 35 formsone end of the upper casing of the machine and is, therefore, integralwith the base 10 as well as the plates '18, 15, and 20. Crushing plate35 is thus preferably stationary, and is welded or otherwise secured inposition. It is flared at its upper end at 36 and is also flaredoutwardly at 37. The plate 35 is corrugated as best shown at 38 in FIG.2 in order better to coact with the cans that are being crushed. At thispoint it will be well to note that the lower end of the moving crushingplate 25 is flared at '35 to present an opening 40 between it and theflared portion 37 of the stationary crushing plate 35. It should benoted that this opening is above the axis of reciprocation of thecrushing plate 25 so that there will be an enlargement of the space 40each time the crushing plate 25 moves away from the stationary plate 35.

In actual operation, a can C will be dropped into the space between theplate 25 and 35, this space being funnel-like in cross-sectional shapeas best seen in FIG. 1. The movement of the crushing plate 25 towardstationary plate 35 will first cause the corrugations 38 and the crossridges 30 to engage the can C so as to hold it as it receives itsinitial crushing operation. The can, therefore, cannot move verticallyrelatively to the plates either upwardly or downwardly during thiscrushing operation. However, should the initial contact between thecorrugations and the cross ridges 30 not hold the can, it will popupwardly somewhat, but will be limited by the surface 3 1 of thecrushing plate 25 so as not to injure a bystander. In actual practiceutilizing the ridges and corrugations, I have found the cans will notgenerally move upwardly and will be gripped for proper coaction with themachine.

When the reciprocating plate 25 moves away from stationary plate 35, thecan C will be released naturally by the corrugations 38 and the crossridges 3t) and will drop downwardly as best seen at C1. Again, when thecrushing plate 25 moves toward crushing plate 35, the can will begripped and will be held during the crushing operation. It will beappreciated that since each can is held during each crushing operation,when there are a series of cans being crushed, and with the canssuperimposed as when fed sequentially into the machine, each can will bereleased at approximately the same time as the can above it. However,through the proper design of the curvature of plate 35, the nature ofthe construction is such that the lowermost positioned can may bereleased first so as to move outwardly of the machine, after which thenext can above will move downwardly, then the next can, and so on. Thus,the lowermost can C4 may move outwardly as illustrated in FIG. 1, afterwhich can C2 will be released, and thereafter can C1 and so on. In otherwords, the gripping of the cans and the arrangement of the crushingsurfaces is such that there may be an orderly procession or movement ofthe cans out of the machine, thereby preventing the clogging of themachine. In other words, a particular shaping of the moving crushingplate 25 relatively to the stationary plate 35, combined with thecorrugations and ridges, may control in any manner desired, the movementof cans being crushed so as to crush the cans effectively while avoidingthe clogging of the machine.

Further, the space 40 is effective also to prevent clogging, by openingan enlarged passage during each reciprocation. I believe that mycontribution to the art will now be quite apparent.

I new claim:

1. In a can crusher of the class described, a frame, a pair of rigidplates, each of said plates having can crushing areas between which cansare received for movement from a position at the upper ends of saidcrushing areas downwardly between said crushing areas for escape fromsaid crushing areas as maximum crushed cans, means pivotally mounting atleast one of said plates on a horizontal pivot for reciprocation of itsarea toward and away from the area of the other plate, said pivotalmounting means being on an axis fixed relatively to said frame and atthe lower end of said one plate below its crushing area, said platesbeing shaped to form therebetween a vertical space having a funnel-likevertical section in all relative positions thereof above a particularpoint vertically disposed above said pivotal mounting means, means forreciprocating said plates toward and away from one another for changingthe said vertical section size cyclically so that a series ofreciprocations effects the gradual crushing of a can moving downwardlyin said funnel-like space, at least one of said plates being bowed andcurved convexly in a graduated manner toward and relatively to the otherplate above said point to accommodate cans in a noncrushed conditiongraduated to a maximum crushed condition and formed with can holdingprotuberances for controlling the movement of the cans, the form andcontour of said bowing and curve being such that the plates control themovement of said cans downwardly in predetermined sequence so that thelowermost maximum crushed cans are released by the separation of saidplates for escape movement out of said funnel-like curve contouredvertical section at said particular point just prior to the release ofthe immediately superimposed cans by said protuberances of the platesfor movement downwardly from a portion of said vertical sectionimmediately above that just occupied by said maximum crushed cans,whereby the max mum crushed cans will escape from between said platesprior to the downward movement of the immediately superimposed cans intoa position for maximum crushing, thereby preventing clogging of saidcans in said funnellike vertical section, and the lower end of at leastsaid one rigid pivoting plate below said particular point beingoutwardly flared away from the other plate whereby the expansion of acan after crushing above said particular point will not cause said canto stick in said funnel-like space as said can moves past saidparticular point.

2. In a can crusher of the class described, a frame, a pair of rigidplates, each of said plates having can crushing areas between which cansare received for movement from a position at the upper ends of saidcrushing areas downwardly between said crushing areas for escape fromsaid crushing areas as maximum crushed cans, means pivotally mounting atleast one of said plates on a horizontal pivot for reciprocation of itsarea toward and away from the area of the other plate, said pivotalmounting means being on an axis fixed relatively to said frame and atthe lower end of said one plate below its crushing area said platesbeing shaped to form therebetween a vertical space having a funnel-likevertical section in all relative positions thereof above a particularpoint vertically disposed above said pivotal mounting means, means forreciprocating said plates toward and away from one another for changingthe said vertical section size cyclically so that a series ofreciprocations effects the gradual crushing of a can moving downwardlyin said funnel-like space, at least one of said plates being bowed andcurved convexly in a graduated manner toward and relatively to the otherplate above said point .to accommodate cans in a non-crushed conditiongraduated to a maximum crushed condition and formed with can holdingprotuberances for controlling the movement of the cans, the form andcontour of said bowing and curve being such that the plates control themovement of said cans downwardly in predetermined sequenceso that thelowermost maximum crushed cans are released by the separation of saidplates for escape movement out of said funnel-like curve contouredvertical section at said particular point just prior to the release ofthe immediately superimposed cans by said protuberances of the platesfor movement downwardly from a portion of said vertical sectionimmediately above that just occupied by said maximum crushed cans,whereby the maximum crushed cans will escape from between said platesprior to the downward movement of the immediately superimposed cans intoa position for maximum crushing, thereby preventing clogging of saidcans in said funnel-like section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,246,394 Steele June 17, 1941 2,356,122 Edwards Aug. 15, 1944 2,619,150Smith Nov. 25, 1952 2,593,657 Coon et al. Apr. 22, 1957 2,920,554 BunkeJan. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,206 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1909 of 1908

